THE recent appointment of a chief election commissioner for Azad Jammu & Kashmir has once again shone a spotlight on the continuing delay in the appointment of a new CEC for the Election Commission of Pakistan. While the appointment was made more than a year after the office fell vacant, and uncomfortably close to general elections in the territory scheduled for July this year, the AJK process shows that constitutional offices can be filled smoothly when the state recognises its responsibility. It also raises the question: why has the federal government failed to do the same? Sikandar Sultan Raja’s five-year term expired on Jan 26, 2025. Although the 26th Constitutional Amendment allows an incumbent to continue until a successor is appointed, this provision was ostensibly aimed at preventing disruption in the ECP’s important functions, not justify prolonged inaction. Article 215(4) of the Constitution envisages that such vacancies should be filled within 45 days. That deadline passed about a year ago. The continued extension of the CEC’s expired tenure has only weakened the institutional credibility of the ECP and solidified perceptions that constitutional requirements have been rendered optional instead of binding.

These concerns have been magnified by the controversies that have surrounded the ECP in recent years. The conduct and timing of the 2024 general elections, decisions affecting the electoral participation of the PTI, and disputes over reserved seats all attracted criticism and formal litigation. The delay in fresh appointments to the ECP was previously attributed to legal and political hurdles that prevented the last opposition leader from working with the government. However, with the formal notification of Mehmood Khan Achakzai as leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, the constitutional mechanism for consultation over the appointment is once again fully operational. The responsibility now rests squarely with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Mr Achakzai to begin formal consultations and agree on a mutually acceptable appointment. More delay will only be seen as political reluctance, which will reinforce perceptions of the ECP’s institutional fragility, deepen political polarisation and undermine public confidence in Pakistan’s floundering poll system. The PM and the leader of the opposition must, therefore, fulfil their obligation. A prompt and consensus-based appointment could restore confidence in the ECP and reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to democratic principles.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2026